Wildfire
by Chibi StarLyte
Summary: Through a series of events, Sokka and Zuko end up meeting and sharing an...interesting night together. What happens next? A SokkaxZuko fluffy fic, takes place after The Fury of Aang.
1. Chapter 1: Rain and Fire

Hi-yo! Chibi-chan here, takin' a stab at—not my first, but my first posted—Avatar fanfiction. Yay! -Throws confetti.- I'm hoping that you readers don't think this chapter is as sucky as I think it is, but I've revised and edited it so many times, I have it pretty much memorized. So yeah. And yes, I know, Sokka and Zuko are quite OOC, but hopefully they won't be so much as this fic continues and progresses. Umm….enjoy?

**Warning: **This fic contains shounen-ai fluff, and will later contain some hints of yaoi-ness, so if you don't like it, then go click that pretty green back arrow. Yeah, that one.

**Disclaimer **_I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, or any of its characters, creatures, etc. If I did, Sokka and Zuko would be the main canon couple and other stuff would happen._

_------------_

"Sokka, you're such a jerk!" Katara growled, somehow maintaining her self-control, or else she'd have given her brother a good bruise or two.

Snarling and turning on his heel, Sokka angrily stormed off into the mess of trees surrounding their temporary encampment. Katara was being extra moody, and so the elder boy decided to hand the fault to raging teenage female hormones and didn't want to keep their absolutely pointless squabble going on longer than it needed to. Besides, he couldn't even remember what she started screaming at him for. He slowly inhaled the fresh, crisp forest air, clearing his mind with each deep breath. He felt ultimately relaxed by the time he happened to stumble upon a small stream lined with silky smooth boulders-a splendid reprieve.

"Hmm…I wonder how she does it," Sokka randomly muttered, to himself, really. He sat cross-legged on one of the lower-leveled boulders right near the water's edge. Staring heavily down at his rippling reflection upon the translucent surface of the crystal water, he slowly moved his hand up and down in almost pitiful attempts to waterbend, for he knew he couldn't do it anyway. But it was worth a try, he guessed. After all, if Katara could waterbend, it MUST be in his blood, right?

…

Well, apparently Sokka didn't have it in him, as his following ten minutes-or was it more like an hour?-brutally proved to him. Oh well, he sighed, kissing his lovely boomerang: a gift from his father. As long as he had his beloved, most treasured weapon, nothing else really mattered. He didn't need that "magic water" after all. Lovingly fingering the silvery face of his boomerang, the tanned boy stared off down the stream and into the foliage. Whilst the entire time he thought about nothing in particular whatsoever, his mind suddenly brought him to a subject he never imagined he would think about--and one he completely loathed to boot--Prince Zuko.

"What the heck?" Sokka thought aloud, shaking his head as if to rid the firebender's image from his mind. He was almost in shock that Zuko just erratically floated into his thoughts, and the more he dwelled on it, the more ominous the weird feeling in his gut became. What was his body trying to tell him? Somehow, he felt like Zuko was in immense pain, that he was…_crying_. It almost seemed like the prince himself was calling to Sokka for…_help_? But that just couldn't be. His mind was just playing tricks on him, as usual--though he did have to admit that this was much weirder than his dream where food ate people, yet not as when he had been hallucinating on cactus juice just mere days earlier. But why couldn't he shake this feeling away? That twinge in his stomach plagued him ruthlessly until…

_Raaaawrghmphk_.

It was then that Sokka realized that he was starving beyond all logical reasoning in the infinite universe of knowledge. It was also then that he noticed the storm clouds hovering, looming above him like a deadly predator.

Shit.

Almost sooner than he'd seen the brewing storm coming did rain begin pouring relentlessly upon him in buckets. At this point, the tribesman could barely see his hand in front of his face, let alone where the heck he was going as he battled through the sheets of rain, wishing oh so terribly that he could waterbend then. But, as unfortunate as it was, he just simply couldn't, so he'd have to face the predicament like a man and somehow, magically, find his way back to camp…

…Or maybe that old abandoned cabin right over there.

Yeah. That seemed to be the better of the two paths he could have followed, considering the current circumstances under which he was caught.

So, head for that cabin Sokka did, and once inside, he slammed the door shut and yanked the wooden lever down to lock it. A sigh of relief escaped his slightly pursed lips as he relaxed against the door, listening to the rain pounding inexorably against the--he was pretty certain, at least--sturdy cabin.

His breath hitched in his throat and his body froze as he suddenly picked up a faint snoring coming from somewhere near the back wall. Oh shit! Someone else was already here? The dark teen was afraid to move, but he managed to muster up enough of whatever courage he had to merely slide down to a cross-legged sit in front of the secured door. Just who was his cabin mate? Sokka was too chicken to wake the stranger up; he certainly didn't have a death wish at the moment. Yet, he still had this insatiable curiosity gurgling in his stomach--or maybe that was just his hunger eating away at his insides? Ah, well, that didn't matter. What did matter was who the heck was snoring not even eight feet from him, and how long he'd have to wait out the storm: it was entirely probable that he'd have to stay put well into the night, or even until the next morning, which was definitely something he didn't want to do. He suddenly felt extremely bad for Aang, Katara, and Toph.

"Who's there?" a voice called out, and before Sokka could fully react and respond, a burst of flame came flying out of nowhere at his alarmed face, just barely missing his head, yet managing to singe a few of the hairs sticking out from his warrior's wolf tail. Great. He was stuck with a damn firebender.

"What the hell was that for!" the scared-shitless tribesman cried out in exasperation, shooting a cold glare into the darkness--to where he thought the man, he decided, was hiding. A pair of fiery, shimmering gold irises peered back from the shadows like those belonging to a feline, meeting Sokka's own ice blue eyes. The dark figure of the person shifted around a bit, seemingly moving closer to the trembling tanned boy, albeit those eyes never wavered from their hard glower. Sokka's eyes never wandered from those golden-sun orbs, either--that is, at least until, without warning, a small flame appeared in front of his face, close enough to eat away at his now sweaty, dark skin, causing him to flinch.

"Zuko," he said with unadulterated loathing and utter disinterest dripping from his low voice. "Great; just my luck to be stuck here with the likes of you."

Those uneven gold eyes narrowed dangerously, and the flames emanating from the prince's open palm flared and flickered, growing slightly in size. The atmosphere surrounding the two boys grew considerably warmer, causing Sokka to sweat a bit more. However, this newfound heat was pretty short-lived, for it only lingered for a few seconds. The tribesman caught a hint of hesitance in Zuko's eyes before the light between them extinguished completely in the flick of a wrist, leaving them in pitch darkness, save for the minimal light seeping through the small windows. Whoa, wait a minute. Did Zuko just…_back down_? Sokka could no longer see that familiar glow of gold; it was as if Zuko himself had disappeared into the shadows along with his flame.

It was only moments before a second fire sprung up from the blackness, this time in the fire pit located in the middle of the cabin, equipped with a small spit for cooking meat and whatnot. Zuko was--it seemed so, anyway--playing with the flames as they licked almost affectionately at his pale skin, golden eyes transfixed on the matching dancing colors of light and energy that sat before him.

"Seeing as it was your fucking _stomach_ that woke me up, I figured I might as well cook some miso soup or something," the prince announced without Sokka having to really ask. Broken now from his earlier trance, the firebender set to work on preparing the meal. The darker teen wasn't sure if he should take Zuko's commentary as an insult or not, but at least it sounded like the scarred teen was going to feed him. Food plus Sokka equals happy, after all, so as long as Sokka was full, all would be well.

Now that the prince's fire had grown, it was considerably easier to fully see him. His long ebony hair was pulled into a high ponytail like it used to be, but he actually had a full head of hair. Damn, that hair of his grew fast. It must be a firebender thing, the tribesman decided. At least Zuko didn't have those ridiculously huge sideburns and enormous amounts of facial hair like most of the other men from the Fire Nation. They were just hairy people, he guessed.

"So…what are you doing out here?" Sokka questioned, just for the sake of trying to start up a light conversation nonchalantly--he still felt the need to be at least friendly, seeing as Zuko was going to feed him and all, which meant he had to swallow his pride for once and forget about his hatred toward the older boy--remaining in his spot in front of the locked door.

_I have no where else to go…_

"I'm on the run, you nitwit," the prince replied somewhat harshly, working diligently on their meager meal.

"On the run? From who?" the tribesman questioned.

_From my psycho sister and the bastard that dares to call himself the Firelord…_

"From my own country," Zuko said through slightly clenched teeth.

"The Fire Nation? Since when?" Sokka inquired, raising a surprised brow.

_Since my father turned his back on me once again…_

"Haven't you seen all the wanted posters in pretty much every single Earth Kingdom city since the attack at the North Pole?" Zuko asked, this time in a pretty neutral voice as he stirred their cooking soup.

"…No, not really. I never pay attention to those things," Sokka replied, drawing a knee in close to his chest and draping his arm over it lazily. He huffed and watched the prince intently, though not cautiously, but rather as if he were intrigued by him. His icy eyes studied every move the firebender made, no matter how small. One thing the tribesman made sure to avoid at all costs, however, was that terrible scar adorning nearly the entire left side of Zuko's pale face. Though Sokka had always wondered where that scar came from, he was terrified to ask. Questioning the enemy about his personal life was pretty much asking for a one-way ticket to the Grim Reaper's front porch.

The two boys sat in complete silence for what seemed like hours until Zuko finally announced, "The soup's done."

It took every ounce of Sokka's self-control to keep himself from jumping up and screaming. Excited and eager to stuff his face, the tribesman scooted across the wooden floor as quickly as his butt would slide. His fingers twitched madly as he grabbed for the bowl the prince handed over to him, and without hesitating another moment, he began shoving mouthfuls of soup into his huge trap.

Zuko merely stared at the water tribe peasant as he scarfed down the food. A smirk graced his timid lips as he sipped at his own soup "How does it taste?"

"Oh my God, it's so great! You are a _saint_!" Sokka exclaimed, finishing off the rest of his meal in a flash. He glanced at the prince for permission to take more from the pot. Receiving an accepting nod from him, he poured more of the delectable soup into his bowl.

"It's good to know my soup isn't as horrible as my tea," the pale teen said after taking another small sip. "Please don't ask me to make any; you'd probably vomit it back up."

"Oh, I'm sure it's not that nasty," the darker teen replied in between hurried slurps.

"Believe me, the look on my uncle's face when he tried it told me enough," the prince responded, setting down his bowl, which turned out to be still half-full--or half-empty, as both boys would see it, being the pessimists that they were.

Sokka's eyes grew wide as he stared down into his own empty bowl, then glancing over at Zuko's bowl. "Hey…you gonna finish that?" he asked like a small child would, pointing shyly.

"Go ahead and take it," Zuko said, waving his hand as if to dismiss the soup from his mind completely.

"Thanks, Zuko!" the tribesman said gratefully, giving the prince a huge, goofy grin.

"You're welcome…uh...," the prince paused, seemingly turning over several thoughts in his heavily-weighed mind.

"Sokka," the darker teen finished for him, sipping up the remains of soup. "My name's Sokka."

"Right. _Sokka_. Got it," the firebender said slowly, allowing his stiff frame to relax a bit. He once again reached his hand into the flames that stared at him so temptingly, allowing their fervidness to engulf his trembling fingers completely. Sokka watched him do this with interest, just as he had before. This time, though, Zuko's face wore a different expression than the last time. He seemed to glare at the flames, almost like he was asking them, begging them to burn through his flesh, to char and melt it away.

"Zuko! What the heck are you doing?" the darker teen cried out, slamming the bowl down on the floor with a bang that echoed through the cabin like a crack of thunder did moments later. Whoa, since when did he care about what Zuko did to himself? It certainly wasn't any of his business.

The prince apparently popped back into the realm of reality and quickly snapped his arm back, hugging it against his chest. Sokka could have sworn he saw an invisible shield close in around Zuko right then, much to his disappointment. That minimal, but still-existent open-ness that the prince had while cooking was completely gone now. He was closed off from the world, just as usual, and in that moment, Sokka wanted nothing more than to break down that barrier responsible for separating them. He didn't want to be isolated from Zuko. He didn't want to feel like he had been left alone in the cabin. He wanted there to be a chance, even a microscopic one, that they could be…_friends_.

Refusing to show any of his frustration, Sokka stacked his empty bowl inside Zuko's and hugged his knees to his chest. His icy blue eyes focused solely on the prince, who merely sat staring into the flames. The firebender inhaled and closed his eyes, assuming a cross-legged sitting position, resting his open palms calmly on his knees. Sokka let go of his knees, allowing them to slide out until his legs were straight, for the most part.

"What are you doing?" the tribesman asked in a hushed tone, somehow feeling that Zuko didn't want much noise.

"Meditating," the prince replied curtly, exhaling slowly, his eyes still closed. The fire in the pit grew much larger than Sokka had seen it thus far as Zuko released his breath. The flames reduced drastically as the prince drew in another breath. "My uncle taught me to do this to clear my mind, keep my head level, and to reduce my temper."

Sokka nodded with almost feigned curiosity. "Does it really work?"

"For the most part, yes," Zuko answered, exhaling the remaining carbon dioxide in his lungs. "It especially helps on days like this, when I feel weakened."

"Weakened? What do you mean?" the tribesman questioned, this time with genuine interest. He momentarily debated whether or not to scoot closer to the meditating prince, but eventually decided against it-for now, at least.

"When it rains," the prince began, opening his good eye just a sliver to glance at the window, "my firebending weakens and I sort of feel frazzled, in a confusing sort of way." Oh, shit. He probably shouldn't have said that. Well, his shield was definitely going back up.

"I suppose that makes a lot of sense, actually," the darker teen said, stroking his chin somewhat thoughtfully. He glanced over to Zuko once more, noticing that the pale teen had tensed up quite a bit. Being the battle genius that he was, Sokka moved closer to the prince--who had seemingly stopped breathing temporarily--and rested a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry…I won't use that against you," he offered cordially, half-assing his goofy grin. Zuko relaxed slightly, in a relieved sort of way.

The boys fell into yet another awkward silence, which made the tribesman quite uncomfortable. Sighing gruffly, he pulled his boomerang out of its storing pouch and scrutinized it for scratches and whatnot. The firebender merely meditated some more, nearly falling asleep at one point. Though he couldn't explain it for the life of him, for some reason, Zuko felt…at ease with Sokka sitting next to him. He half-hoped that the darker teen wouldn't move anytime soon.

"So why exactly are you on the run from the Fire Nation?" Sokka asked casually, still working at polishing his cherished weapon.

"What is with all these questions?" Zuko replied in question, still holding his head level, not allowing small irritations to crawl under his skin.

"I don't know; I'm just curious, I guess," the tribesman replied, setting down his boomerang for a second to glance at the prince. "I think I should have probably told you before, but I can get pretty annoying sometimes-or so I'm told. Please don't kill me."

"You needn't worry; there's no reason for me to kill you. Though if I truly wanted you dead, I could have disposed of you already," the prince replied with his typical arrogance. Exhaling, he brought his arms to his chest, crossing them. His cat-like eyes fluttered open and he turned to face the water tribe peasant. "Why don't you tell me some things about yourself, since I've already said my share?"

"Well, what do you want to know?" Sokka replied. Gosh, it was almost as if they were playing the questions only game, the way they kept responding to each other. Taking one last look at his boomerang, the darker teen sheathed it back into its pouch.

"I don't know. Tell me the story of that boomerang," Zuko said in a half-bored tone, lying back on one arm, slinging the other lazily over his knee.

The tribesman paused, remaining silent for a minute or so. Sighing, he pulled his weapon out of its sheath and held it so tightly, his knuckles turned ashen. Staring at it as a saddened look came over his face, he said, "This was a gift from my dad. He gave it to me before he left…to fight in the war, along with the other men in my tribe. They left to help the Earth Kingdom. That was over two years ago…."

The prince's lips turned down into a slight frown as his gaze transferred to the dimming flames. "It must be nice…," he whispered, closing his eyes.

"…What must be nice?" Sokka asked, returning his boomerang to its sheath. A mood of seriousness had settled upon them, and the darker teen really didn't like it.

_Having a father that loves you…_

"Y-your boomerang. I meant that it must be a pretty nice weapon," Zuko muttered as a substitute for what he really wanted to say. "So, two years, eh? I think that's how long it's been since I've seen my father, as well…maybe a bit longer…"

"Why did your dad have to leave?" Sokka inquired, automatically jumping to conclusions that, well, he probably shouldn't have—plus, he momentarily forgot about Zuko being the Fire Nation's _prince_.

_I wish he would have left._

"He didn't leave…I did," the prince replied, sighing sadly, his voice dropping as certain memories began seeping into his conscious mind.

"Why'd you leave, then?" the tribesman questioned, only slightly altering his question from before.

Silence…

"I…have my reasons," the pale teen said, clearing his throat a bit, as if to dismiss the subject completely. Sokka took the hint and sighed in defeat; it didn't look like he was going to get much more out of Zuko, to his dismay.

…

"…Awkward turtle," the dark teen said almost as soon as the uncomfortable stillness ensued their conversation, placing his right hand over his left, both palms facing down, and moving his thumbs in a sort of swimming motion.

"What…?" Zuko asked, cocking a brow, giving Sokka look that said, 'What the hell…?'

"It's just…something you're supposed to do in an awkward situation, or when it's too quiet. You know, to lighten the mood, I suppose," Sokka responded, shrugging his shoulders.

"…Okay then," was Zuko's uneasy reply.

Well, the awkward turtle didn't seem to work, so Sokka decided to try a different method.

"You're acting a lot different than usual," he said, avoiding looking at the prince at any cost. "You're not being the stubborn, short-tempered prick you normally are. Why is that?"

"Maybe I decided I don't like being a prick," Zuko said flatly, frankly. He liked to keep his answers relatively short; it would be terrible news for him if he accidentally let valuable something slip like earlier.

"Well, don't ever go back to being one, because I like you better this way…just like everyone else would, I guess," Sokka added quickly, stumbling over the right words to say and exactly how to say them. Clearly, the boy lacked heavily in eloquence. But Zuko didn't mind much; in fact, it was almost refreshing to be around someone with less articulacy than his old, proverbial uncle.

"I'll try not to…just don't provoke me," the prince said with a small smile that disappeared as quickly as it graced his lips.

"I won't provoke you if you won't provoke me," the tribesman replied, holding his right hand out for the prince to shake it, as if they were forming some sort of truce.

"Agreed, for now," Zuko said, taking Sokka's gloved hand in a friendly way.

"So, how long do you think this storm will last?" Sokka asked, deliberately changing the subject.

_Hopefully all night, 'cause I don't want to be alone…_

"I don't have a clue," the prince said, poking at the fire once more.

"Well, that's about as good as my guess," the darker teen replied, watching Zuko play with the dimming flames. Studying, scrutinizing, cautiously eyeing that fire-licked hand, it was then that Sokka noticed dark pink marks snaking around the pale skin, trailing their way up and around the wrist, and disappearing beneath that tattered excuse for a sleeve. And then it hit him: that gut-wrenching, stomach churning feeling from earlier…

"Zuko…quit that. You're starting to creep me out," Sokka ordered with a shudder, still focusing on the hand resting almost unbearably comfortably within those flames…

The prince didn't move a single muscle, as if he didn't hear the tribesman speak at all. His golden eyes mirrored every movement of the flickering fire as it swayed back and forth like a lithe dancer, sparked furiously like fireworks on crack. Somewhat infuriated and even more worried, Sokka reached for Zuko's unmoving hand and grasped it, pulling it away from the flames, earning himself a few small burns in the process. The firebender tried to yank his hand away, but the tribesman kept a firm grip on his wrist, refusing to let go.

"Why are you doing this? Tell me what's going on," Sokka demanded, tightening his hold on the prince's wrist.

"Let go of me now, or you'll regret it," Zuko threatened in a dangerously venomous voice, snorting steam out of his nose like a dragon. Just like earlier, the atmosphere inside the cabin spiked in temperature. A tiny bead of sweat rolled down the side of the tribesman's head.

"I'm not letting go until you tell me why the hell you're MUTILATING yourself!" Sokka yelled, pulling Zuko closer to him. And for being the lanky, absolutely-no-developed-muscles-whatsoever kind of guy, he drew the prince over quite a good distance.

"Oh, and since when do you give a FUCK about ME, the ENEMY!" Zuko shot back in an equally loud voice, the room getting hotter by the second because of his incredible temper.

Unable to take it anymore, Sokka finally snapped. Tugging the prince even closer, he took his anger-quivering lips into a fierce, yet gentle kiss. Sokka could feel Zuko immediately give in, though he was sure it wasn't completely by conscious choice. He rested his gloved hand on the pale, unscarred cheek of the firebender, suddenly feeling something touch his fingertip. Something…_wet_?

Zuko's barrier had fallen and shattered into a million pieces.

He was…_crying_.

He, Prince Zuko, the icy-hearted heir to the firelord and throne of the Fire Nation…was crying. This hot-tempered, beastly monster that Sokka had always seen him as actually proved he was…human; that he was such a precious, sacred, beautiful creature--too beautiful to cry.

Pulling away ever so slowly, the tribesman gathered the trembling prince into his arms, hugging and holding him protectively. As much as his actions confused him, though, Sokka didn't try to hold back at all. He wasn't sure what exactly had come over him in the short time the two boys had spent alone together, but he kind of didn't want these new feelings to go away. He and Zuko were sort of…similar to one another, and it wasn't until just recently he realized that this was so. And if they were as similar as Sokka thought they were, Zuko probably had everything bottled up inside of him, like a volcano waiting to erupt-almost quite literally. All he needed was an outlet, and this was it… Just thinking about the possibilities brought unwanted memories and musings to the surface of Sokka's mind, and he warily let a single tear drop from his half-open, oceanic irises.

"I'm…r-really…sorry, S-Sokka," Zuko muttered through shaky breaths, hiding his face entirely in the tribesman's chest. He clenched and unclenched his fist periodically, causing horrible wrinkles in the soft blue fabric. He felt Sokka's arms embrace him tighter, and every muscle in his body loosened. The warmth that emanated from the darker boy was so comforting, even more so than the prince's internal heat that he had learned to live with, being a firebender and all. It was under said warmth that the ice encasing his wounded heart began to melt away into a giant, emotional mess of a puddle that had been trampled through many times over.

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Zuko," Sokka attempted to assure him as he tried to calm him down, rubbing his gloved hand slowly up and down his back. "Please...tell me what's wrong?"

"I-I can't...not now," came the almost silent reply. "Just...please, don't let go..."

"I won't; I promise," the tribesman assured the firebender, planting a comforting kiss on the top of his head.

Somehow within the last hour, Sokka had managed not only to put up with the snobby, arrogant prince, but he had also discovered emotions he didn't even know he had, kissed a _guy_, and had finally gotten Zuko to warm up to him, even if it was just a tiny bit.

Things would definitely be different from now on.

------------

And there was chapter one!

**Word Count: **4,527 (this doesn't include the author's notes at the beginning and end—just the chapter itself)

I probably won't be updating too soon, seeing as this chapter took me about a month to write. That being said, please don't hurt me!

Read and review?

Ja ne!

--Chibi-chan


	2. Chapter 2: Fatal Attraction

Whoa, took me long enough to write this chapter. Sorry for such a long wait. I've been uber busy with school and marching band. I also had some writer's block for awhile. But now I have some new ideas that'll keep this story going. Some of the newer episodes will still happen in this fic, but I will evilly manipulate them to my liking. -Cackles wickedly.- But...enough about that. Here's the extremely short, long-awaited chapter two.

Oh, yes, before I forget...

**4EverSleepingDragon: **Thank you so much for your review. Though I don't think this chapter has been much of an improvement, I've been thinking a lot of what you said and will most definitely be more cautious as I continue with this fic and try to take things a bit slower (sadly, that is one of my downfalls...). Your critique is much appreciated! You get a nummy virtual cookie.

**Warning: **Blah blah blah, hints of yaoi, blah blah blah. Honestly, must I say this again?

**Disclaimer: **Unfortunately, I don't own _Avatar_. -Boo, hiss.- Though we all know what would happen if I did... -Shifty eyes.-

_------------_

"No, Sokka. I don't want to."

"Come on, Zuko. You'll feel better; I promise."

"Have you forgotten that I'm a _firebender_!"

…

Sokka sighed, glancing outside through the open door. The rain had let up considerably, but it still came down at a steady pace. Though by now it was just that: a rainstorm—no thunder and lightning, and no harsh wind. Now if only he could get the hesitant prince outside…

"Zuko, please…It's not as bad as you think. Seriously, you're making a big deal out of nothing," the tribesman said, taking a few steps toward the nervous firebender. Those uneven gold eyes just watched the rain fall outside, glancing up at Sokka every now and then.

"Are you…sure?" Zuko asked, feeling like a small child going to school for the first time. He usually didn't have a problem with the rain, but now…he was so deathly afraid of it, for reasons even he couldn't explain. But still…why did Sokka want him to go out there so badly? Not only was it pouring, but night had already fallen, so it was completely dark, save for the light that seeped out the small windows of the cabin. What were his motives?

"Of course I'm sure," Sokka replied, closing the distance between the prince and himself completely. "Please…?" he pleaded once more, taking Zuko's lips in a quick kiss.

Well, that had done it…

"Fine…" was the prince's curt response, feeling a bit foolish for letting himself be overtaken like that by a _kiss_, of all things. Absurd. He nervously fingered the rough scar tissue adorning his face before taking a step towards the door that called his name loud and clear. The rain outside did just the same. It was tantalizing him, it seemed: and before he knew it, the huge droplets were falling upon him, freezing him to the bone.

"See? What'd I tell you? It's not that bad, now is it?" the tribesman said in a somewhat victorious voice. He stood behind his prince—wait, _his_ prince? Since when…ah, well, regardless—resting his hand consolingly on his shoulder. A small smile befell Sokka's lips; Zuko was so pretty when he was completely drenched, his clothes clinging to his fine body, his dark hair weighed down by water.

As hesitant and reluctant as he was to admit it, Zuko finally said, "No…it's not bad at all. In fact…it makes me feel kind of…_calm_…" The pale teen took in a shaky breath and held it for a moment, tilting his face toward the crying sky. He allowed the rain to caress his face as it fell. It felt so soothing…He had never done anything like this before. He had always been too worried about something or too preoccupied with other matters, and he just never had time to just…enjoy the rain. It was a nice change from his normal life. He just felt so relaxed—and having Sokka's arms draped around his shoulders contributed greatly to that fact.

"Rain just has that effect on people; that's why I brought you out here." Sokka said, knowing that the prince had been questioning his intentions from the start. Receiving a satisfied nod, he took the liberty of planting a kiss on Zuko's unmarred cheek. "Glad to see you're lightening up a bit."

A serene silence descended upon the two teens, Sokka hugging Zuko protectively from behind, Zuko leaning into Sokka's still form as his entire body seemed to give out under exhaustion. He had no idea why in the world he felt so tired…maybe it was just the rain…Yeah, that sounded like a plausible excuse.

"I want to go back inside," the prince announced, hoping the tribesman would take the hint and let go of him—or at least head inside with him without releasing him. Zuko secretly prayed for the latter.

"Okay," Sokka said, immediately allowing his arms to fall to his sides, quite reluctantly, too. He followed Zuko in, closing and locking the door behind him. Leaning against said door, he watched the prince with a soft stare, his ice blue eyes examining every inch of his drenched body. It wasn't until moments later that Sokka realized that all he could see was a naked torso. Whoa, wait. When did Zuko take his shirt off! Oh yes, the darker teen was certainly getting an eyeful.

"Work out much?" he asked with that playful, slightly sarcastic tone of his, regarding the prince's toned muscles with a small hint of envy trickling down his spine.

"Years of training," the prince said, his high-and-mighty attitude shining through a bit. He rather liked showing off his physique because it was one of the few things he was actually proud of. He had worked damn hard to earn those muscles, day after day, practicing and forcing himself to try harder. He was constantly trying to better himself, putting in a lot of extra effort just to get by. And his sculpted muscles were tangible proof of it all. But no, this time, he was only half-nude so that he could lay his shirt out to dry. At least, that was the _innocent_ reasoning. "You might want to take your shirt off, too. You know, let it dry by the fire," he advised, bending the flames a bit higher and fuller, so that his shirt would dry faster.

Glancing down at his own chest, Sokka suddenly felt very self-conscious, even slightly embarrassed. He was nowhere near as built as the prince, and was extremely shy now about showing off his lankiness. He laughed internally—it was pretty funny that Zuko, who seemed to be so feminine at times, was built like a brick shithouse, and that _he_ was thin and frail-looking, despite how masculine he thought himself. "Nah, I'm fine. I'll just keep it on," he finally said, desperately trying to keep his still-maturing voice from cracking as he stared at the eye candy sitting in front of the fire. If anyone deserved to make muscles at himself in the water, it was definitely Zuko.

The prince sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you're _intimidated _by me…"

"N-no, I'm not! Why would I be?" Sokka cried out in his defense, plopping down next to the well-defined firebender. He grumbled a few incoherent phrases, as usual, and shivered just a bit.

"Fine. Catch a cold. I don't care," Zuko said in his usually harsh tenor. His stony gaze softened as he stared deeper into the flames, seemingly finding his center in the fire, somehow grounding himself.

Sighing gruffly, Sokka sat down next to Zuko, his drenched shirt annoyingly clinging to his dark skin. Why did the tribesman always happen to spark something so unpleasant in the prince? He always seemed to trigger angry, unwanted emotions without any reason whatsoever.

Playing it cool, Sokka then asked, "So…where are you headed to after the storm clears?"

Zuko upturned his head slightly to look at Sokka, a kind sort of glow emitting from his amber irises. "Ba Sing Se. It's pretty much a haven for refugees; my uncle and I plan on hiding there from my psychopathic sister. I'm sure you remember her…," he muttered, clearing his throat.

"Well, if you're going there with your uncle…uhh, _where _is he, exactly?" the tribesman questioned, cocking a confused brow.

"He should already be there. We decided to split up, to lower the risk of getting caught; he hitched escorts from his stupid Lotus Cult friends," the prince replied, his strong distaste for Pai Sho dripping from his voice.

"Hmm…interesting…" Sokka muttered, stroking his chin like a clever detective. "You should come with us instead of traveling on your own. We're going to Ba Sing Se, too: some dumb ass sandbenders stole Appa and traded him off. We're going there to get him back," he concluded with a small grin. Well, now at least Zuko didn't need to ask for an explanation.

"Somehow I don't think that would be such a great idea.." Zuko muttered, staring into the flames once more, a slight blush on his cheeks, hidden by the glow of orange and red.

"Of course it's a great idea!" Sokka exclaimed, tossing his arms into the air—you know, for dramatic effect and all. "You'll get to Ba Sing Se, Aang needs a firebending mentor…and you won't be alone…" his voice drifted off near the end, becoming almost inaudible. He was completely sure that his "brilliant" plan would certainly work out…besides, it was a nice excuse to have Zuko around…

Zuko turned the idea over in his head countless times. As much as he would have liked to travel within the group, he still felt extremely uneasy about it all. It would just be…weird, joining with the Avatar and his friends, while they had been enemies since their first encounter in the South Pole. The situation at hand could only be described as _awkward_.

"I don't know, Sokka. I'm pretty sure your friends wouldn't allow it. I mean…we're supposed to be _enemies_…" the prince replied after a fairly long moment of silence.

Sokka let out an exasperated sigh, _finally_ taking off his drenched shirt. He spread it out flat next to the fire, allowing it to dry. "You're impossible," he murmured in a slightly frustrated tone and frowned. He rubbed nervously at the tiny goose bumps that popped up on his forearm, feeling like a wimp compared to the fire god seated next to him.

"So I've been told," the prince replied calmly, sneaking quick glances at the topless tribesman.

Okay, time to try a different tactic.

"_Please_, Zuko," Sokka whined and pleaded, crawling behind said boy. He began tracing his fingertips all over the back of Zuko's neck, smirking as the prince shivered beneath his touch.

"N-no, Sokka…I can't…" Zuko said, fighting back the chills running down his spine as best as he could. But oh man, Sokka possessed some magic fingers…

"Can't…or won't?" Sokka asked as he placed numerous kisses upon Zuko's neck, suckling gently at the soft, pale flesh.

Zuko tried so hard to keep himself from eliciting a moan. Sokka's mouth was even more magical than his fingers.

"Sokka…ah, stop it…" the prince half-moaned as he tilted his head slightly, revealing more of his luscious skin to the tribesman—to which he took advantage of gladly. Everything about their current situation was so wrong…yet it all felt so right…

"You didn't answer my question," Sokka whispered, cupping Zuko's chin and turning his head around to face him. Amber met cerulean and neither gaze wavered, even for a moment. "I want you to come with us—with _me_—and I know you want to come just as badly. _Admit it_." He leaned in closer to the prince—so close, their noses barely touched.

"Never," Zuko retorted with a smirk, his fiery eyes glowing somewhat playfully. Sokka almost melted into the pools of liquefied gold that taunted him to no end.

"You're an asshole," Sokka replied with a smirk of his own, capturing Zuko's lips before another word could be said. He became a bit more aggressive—and even slightly possessive—this time around, forcing his tongue into the prince's warm, accepting mouth. Sokka tilted Zuko's chin up slightly and explored deeper into his sensuous, inviting cavern. Gods, Zuko tasted so good…

The tribesman gracefully withdrew from the lip-lock, feeling a bit reluctant in doing so. The prince's bright irises seemed to mirror that same longing that Sokka now felt. Though even with disappointment weighing on his shoulders, Zuko still held himself with that regal air: that very same elegant aplomb he carried about himself elsewhere, especially with his firebending. Just as a person, Zuko was very docile and fierce, like a clever, cunning—and sometimes even conniving—cat. Everything about him was feline-esque, and Sokka found that dangerously attractive, to say the least.

"So…are you going to reconsider my offer?" the tribesman questioned, keeping a demeanor of sangfroid, as usual.

"I think I'm going to need a little more persuasion before I change my mind," Zuko replied with that infamous, alluring smirk of his. Why was everything about the prince _so damn sexy_!

"I thought you'd never ask," Sokka replied, pretty much tackling Zuko to the floor. The prince seemed a bit taken aback at first, but he sure as hell didn't protest the action. Though he barely had any time to think before Sokka's lips came crashing down on his own, hungrily and lustfully.

Twisting his head to the side, Zuko broke away and shut his eyes tightly. "Wait, Sokka…I don't think we should be doing this…," he muttered, suppressing a disgruntled sigh.

"Wha…?" Sokka started, pulling up with a confused, slightly hurt expression painted all over his tanned face. "But…you were just going along with it five seconds ago! Am I _that_ bad of a kisser! 'Cause you could have just said so!" The infuriated tribesman snorted, rolling off of Zuko and pouting.

"No, Sokka…I didn't mean it like that…," Zuko said reassuringly, sitting upright. He rested a somewhat shaky hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Au contraire, you're a _really good _kisser…I'm just still not sure about my feelings…this is all so new and weird and, well, kind of _random _and unexpected…"

The tribesman turned to face the prince, gazing upon such feminine masculinity with a small smile. "I'll definitely agree with you on the random bit. And, just for the record, you're not a bad kisser yourself, _your highness_." Sokka grinned smugly and gently brushed Zuko's lips with his fingertip.

A comforting silence would settle upon the two boys as each became lost in his own thoughts. Sokka couldn't figure out for the life of him exactly what he felt about the prince. Yes, the physical attraction was definitely there—seriously, why wouldn't it be? But was it _just _that? Was Sokka just being a horny teenage boy and lusting after Zuko? Albeit that was his first instinct, the tribesman truly felt that it wasn't that at all. There was just something about the prince that drew him in…that made him want to know everything about the poor soul, to share his secrets, the pains of his past, to hold him and comfort him during those times when emotional support was needed…everything. Just thinking about the firebender caused his heart to go aflutter with a weird feeling that he had never felt before. Was it…_love_? Sokka couldn't really say for sure, but there was no doubt in his mind. After all, love was one of those things that needed no explanation, and he sure couldn't think of any explanation for it at all.

…..

"Sokka?"

"Hm?" came the tribesman's reply as he snapped rapidly from his thoughts.

"Do you…love me?" the prince asked rather shyly.

Silence…

"Heh…y-yeah…I guess I do," Sokka said with a half-smile. "What about you, your highness? Got anything for me?"

…..

"I-I think I…love you, too…," Zuko responded with a slight blush.

"Then it's settled," Sokka announced, taking Zuko's hands in his. "You're coming with me to Ba Sing Se."

"Sounds like it's going to be a fun adventure," the prince said, laying his head on the tribesman's shoulder.

"You know it," Sokka replied with his cocky attitude. "All that's left to do is break the news to everyone…"

Ah, yes, what an adventure it would be, indeed…

_------------_

Umm...end chapter two? Sorry for the uber ridiculous shortness. Though luff and praise is appreciated, I need critique! Please, if there's anything that needs working on, tell me via review!

Chibi-chan


	3. Chapter 3: Promise Me

Well, it certainly has been quite a long time since I've updated this story. I was on the verge of discontinuing it, but I was...suddenly reinspired to write for it again. Now I'm not going to promise quick updates or anything, so don't get too excited.

Seeing as the series has taken quite a few turns from when this fic is taking place, the story here is going to take a few turns as well. I'm not exactly sure how it'll end up, but it'll follow along more with the plot of the show...just somewhat edited.

So...enjoy this short, turn-point chapter.

**Warning:** This fic contains shounen-ai, blah blah blah...

**Disclaimer: **_Avatar: The Last Airbender _and any related characters, settings, plots, etc. do not belong to me. I cannot measure up to the awesomeness that is Bryke.

--

Sokka was awoken by the sweet, succulent aroma of something cooking over the fire. He breathed in the new scent, exhaling with a huge smile. Whatever it was, it smelled divine…like a gift from the heavens.

The tribesman rolled over onto his stomach with a sleepy moan, stretching his arms above his head. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and blinked a few times, his vision soon coming into full focus. With a grunt, he pushed himself upright and sat on his knees. His keen, icy eyes glanced around the cabin for a certain someone, who was obviously absent at the time. A quick play of the ear and a momentary glance outside told him that the storm had cleared. Early morning sun leaked into the cabin through the small windows and cracks in the walls.

This promised to be a wonderful day.

Turning his head to the fire pit, the tribesman crawled over to investigate the source of the intoxicating fragrance that had stirred him from his slumber. Whatever was frying was cut up into favorably thick slices; it appeared to be some sort of fruit. Sokka couldn't quite tell exactly what it was, but he sure as hell couldn't wait to try it!

"They should be ready by now if you want to eat," a calm voice came from the doorway, scaring the bejeebus out of the tanned teen. He jumped about two feet in the air, assuming a fighting stance as he faced the newcomer. He immediately let down his guard once he realized who it was.

Zuko stood in the door frame, showing a rare, genuine smile. His feet were devoid of any kind of shoe, almost completely hidden by his earthen-coloured, baggy pants. He was topless, his shirt dangling from his loose fist. His hair mimicked the style of Jet's hair; his bangs fell just above his eyes, and the rest was somewhat messy and informal-looking. Water droplets fell from his nest of dark hair, signaling that he had most likely just bathed. The sunlight that shone behind him gave the prince a sort of angelic glow.

Sokka just stared at the firebender, seemingly in a trance. Zuko didn't seem to take notice, though, for he stepped into the cabin nonchalantly, leaving the door wide open.

"I hope you like moon peaches," he said in his deep tenor as he slipped his shirt over his head. He smoothed out any wrinkles and sat next to the fire pit. "I found them not too far from here; there's a huge bush of them if you want to get more."

The tribesman shook his head, twisting and sitting in his former position, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I like moon peaches," he started, nervously rubbing the back of his neck, "but I've never eaten them fried before."

"You'll love them. I guarantee it." The prince smiled as he dished some slices into a bowl for Sokka, handing it to him. The darker teen poked at them with his chopsticks before finally taking ahold of one and sucking it into his mouth like a vacuum. His oceanic irises lit up with delight and he giggled like a giddy school girl.

"This…is…so…DELICIOUS!" the tribesman exclaimed, shoving more moon peaches into his mouth, almost forgetting to chew them. He wolfed those things down faster than he had the miso soup the night before. The pale boy grinned, happy that his cooking skills were appreciated.

Sokka set the bowl down, patting his now-full stomach. "Damn, that was amazing! You're a great cook," he said with a satisfied smile.

"Thanks. Glad you liked it." the firebender replied, extinguishing the fire in the pit with a simple wave of his hand.

The tribesman stretched and squeaked, rolling his shoulders and doing other things as such. The prince grabbed the empty bowl and headed to a corner of the cabin where a bucket of fresh water waited. He carried it to the door and splashed some into the bowl, rinsing out all remains of the moon peaches. He continued working in silence, gathering up his belongings and tidying up the place a bit. The darker teen fell onto his back, crossing his arms under his head like a makeshift pillow. He closed his eyes and listened to the shuffling noises made by his room mate. There was a certain feeling of ease with the company of the other boy--something that the Water Tribe boy could sure get used to.

After a few minutes, Sokka broke the quietness that had settled over them. "So…are you all packed and ready to go?" he questioned, forcing one eye open.

…

"…Zuko? Did you hear me?" he inquired, sitting up to look around for his prince. Said boy sat still against the wall opposite the door, staring down at his small bag of things. The tribesman crawled over to his silent counterpart, taking a seat in front of him. "Are you ready to go?"

"Sokka, I…," the firebender began in a voice barely audible, lowering his head as if in shame. "I…can't come with you…"

"…Wha?" the tanned boy said, a slightly confused expression etched onto his face. "What do you mean you can't come?"

"I…don't think it's best for me to join up with you at this point," the paler boy muttered, turning his head away as to avoid the other's gaze.

Sokka's eyes burned with oncoming tears. He didn't want to listen at all to what the prince was telling him…not one little bit. He felt hurt…did Zuko not trust him enough to sway his companions into agreement? "…Why?" he asked through clenched teeth. He balled his hands into fists, resting them on his knees.

"…We both have things we have to do," the prince stated in a quivering voice. "You…have to find your bison…and I have to find my uncle."

"But we can do those things_ together_,can't we?" the Water Tribe boy said, his voice cracking.

"No…we can't. It'd make things too difficult."

Too difficult? No…Zuko was wrong. Things would be more difficult _without _him. Sokka couldn't understand the prince's reasoning at all.

"…What about last night?" the darker teen retorted, the tone of his voice becoming sharp. "Did that mean _nothing _to you?!"

"It…meant more to me than anything," the firebender whispered, finally gaining the courage to look up at his partner. His uneven amber eyes shimmered with a definite sadness; he hated having to do this. "I just think that…I would be a distraction to you…and you don't need that right now."

The tribesman stopped for a moment to think. A…distraction? It suddenly all became clear to him. Zuko was absolutely right. There was a greater task ahead than just finding Appa…the entire _world_ depended on Aang and his friends to bring this war to an end. Love--like hope--would certainly be just a distraction. That was something that they couldn't afford in these crucial months, with the time hastily ticking away before them…

"I…I understand," Sokka finally said in a solemn tenor, staring his counterpart square in the eyes. He could see that this decision was not only hurting himself, but Zuko as well…

The prince slid up the wall to stand, clutching his sack that contained his belongings. The tribesman followed suit, keeping his gaze locked onto the pair of sunlit orbs staring back at him. No more words needed to be said at this point; they came to a mutual understanding without uttering a sound.

"We should head out," Sokka stated, making his way out the door, Zuko trailing behind him. The door clicked softly as it shut behind them.

"Sokka," the pale teen said, taking the Water Tribe boy by the shoulder, "I want you to promise me something."

"Anything," came the darker boy's reply, resting his hand atop the prince's.

"…Promise me that we'll meet up again once we get to Ba Sing Se." The firebender held his breath before continuing. "I don't know exactly where I'll be…but I'll look for you…and I won't stop until I find you."

A smile tugged at Sokka's lips as he nodded his head a couple times. "I'll search for you until I see you again…I promise." His gloved hand reached up and caressed the prince's scarred cheek as he leaned in, touching his lips to Zuko's in a good-bye kiss. He felt his counterpart's hand touch his own, soon after joined by a wet, warm feeling.

Zuko was crying.

The tribesman pulled away and smiled, wiping away his prince's tears with his thumb. The pale teen returned the smile, still holding the other's hand to his cheek.

"See you soon," they said as they parted ways, Zuko heading deeper into the foliage, Sokka emerging from the trees that witness their private exchange.

The tanned boy smiled as he stared up at the sky, allowing the sun to warm his face. His pace quickened just slightly as he continued in the direction of his gang's camp site.

_We'll meet again in Ba Sing Se…I promise._

--

Well, I hope this fic hasn't lost its fanbase due to lack of updates. Got any ideas for Sokka and Zuko's adventures in Ba Sing Se? Message me, leave a review, or drop me an email. Thanks for reading, everyone!

-Chibi


	4. Chapter 4: On Our Way to Ba Sing Se

So, here it is, at long last...chapter four. I hope that you all won't be disappointed with this, but it's more of a filler chapter than anything. No Sokka and Zuko interaction at all. I guess you could say that I just basically re-wrote episode 212 how I would have made things happen if I were a writer on the show. Sokka and Zuko won't meet up again until the next chapter, but this one sets up the triangle of Sokka, Zuko, and Jet.

You may also notice that I write more of Toph than Katara or Aang. I personally **love **Toph, and since she's Sokka's bestest friend evarz in this fic, she's going to get bigger roles. That being said...

I'm sorry if this chapter is so disappointing, especially since there was such a long wait for it. I'd also like to take a moment and thank all of you who reviewed/faved/alerted this story. I have more motivation to write if I know people like to read my stories. -nod nod-

**Disclaimer: Avatar and all related characters, creatures, locations, and stuff like that belong to Mike, Bryan, and Nickelodeon.**

**WARNING: This fic conatains shounen-ai, blah blah blah. Do I really have to keep saying this?**

--

With a heavy sigh, Zuko leaned over the rail of the boat, trying to keep his stomach in check. All of the refugees, including him, had been served rancid food for the past few days--at Full Moon Bay and on the ship--and it was finally starting to eat away unpleasantly at his insides…not to mention the incessant rocking of the boat was _definitely_ not helping.

'If this were a Fire Navy ship, it wouldn't be nearly as turbulent,' the ex-prince thought, pinching the bridge of his nose. He wished he still had some moon peaches left; they would be so much better than this crap of a platypus bear that was available to eat.

The thought of moon peaches trailed back to Sokka, whom Zuko had been thinking about quite a bit lately. It had been a few weeks since they met in that cabin, and he couldn't help but wonder if the Avatar and his friends were on their way to Ba Sing Se at this very moment, or if they had already arrived and settled in. He missed the tribesman's company; he felt lonely during his travels to Full Moon Bay, and he felt isolated there on the ship. Most of the refugees came in packs--huge families with three or more children, or just a group of friends and neighbors that were forced to abandon their villages in search of protection behind the Earth Kingdom capital's mighty walls. He had no one.

The firebender swayed slightly, suddenly under the influence of a small dizzy spell. His stomach churned and roared madly; he lurched forward, almost positive that something would be coming up this time. Thankfully, nothing did.

"You okay there, pal?" a voice came from behind Zuko--a little too close behind him. "You're completely green in the face."

"How would you know? You can't see my face," the firebender shot back breathlessly, not even bothering to turn around. He was already in a foul mood and wanted to rip his stomach out; he didn't need some random stranger fueling his irritation or his nausea.

"Whoa, take it easy there," the stranger said, taking a few strides until he stood to Zuko's left. He let out a quiet snort and said, "Yeah, your face is green."

Zuko fought to hold in his lunch. His hand flew to his mouth as he bowed his head over the railing. After what seemed like an eternity, the gurgling in his stomach subsided and the firebender was finally able to stand upright.

"So, they hurt _you_, too," the stranger said out of the blue, his voice dark and sharp.

"Excuse me?" Zuko inquired, snapping his head to the side, seeing the stranger for the first time. He had a nest of dark brown hair, almost the colour of mud. He wore a few pieces of strange armor that seemed to have been constructed by children. He carried himself in a very laid-back manner, apparent by the way he lounged against the wooden rail, elbows propped up comfortably. A lone strand of wheat dangled from his mouth.

A creepy smile slithered across the bushy-haired boy's lips. "The name's Jet," he stated, motioning to two people standing near the middle of the deck. A girl with face paint and a tall archer boy came forth toward their leader. Jet pointed a lazy finger at his friends, twisting the wheat with his other hand until he pulled it out of his mouth completely. "This is Smellerbee and Longshot. We're Freedom Fighters."

"That's nice," Zuko muttered, turning away from Jet and the pair with really odd names. Discomfort radiated off of him in waves comparable to those smashing up against the side of the boat. Obviously, the hooked swordsman either neglected that fact, or was oblivious to it completely.

"What's your name?" Jet asked, chewing on his piece of wheat once again.

"…Li," came the ex-prince's curt reply.

"Well, Li," the bushy-haired boy began, twirling his wheat in his mouth, "I've got a proposition for you."

--

Evening fell quickly upon the gaang, dusk soon darkening into night. The group came to a unanimous decision to pause their journey and set up camp. The woman with child--Ying was her name--was doing quite well for being so far into her pregnancy. Never once had she complained about being tired or anything like that. After everyone laid out their sleeping blankets, her husband lovingly massaged her feet as she rested.

Sokka smiled as he witnessed the gesture. It was obvious how in love they were.

With a tired sigh, he glanced over to Suki, who was cleaning and shining her warrior's headpiece. It was so weird seeing her again; the tribesman wasn't exactly sure how to act. When they first met, of course they hit it off after Sokka admitted to being a jackass…and it was clear that Suki still held some sort of feelings for him. A kiss on the cheek when they first reunited? Yeah, that practically spelled everything out. He would have loved to say he returned those feelings, but…he wasn't all too sure that he did.

His gaze shifted to Toph, who sat alone near the edge of the cliff they took rest upon. She was slightly hunched over, her shoulders tense. Come to think of it, since the incident with that Fire Navy ship earlier that day, the little earthbender kept quiet and distant from everyone. Sokka had to admit that it was totally out of character for her, but for fear that she would bury him beneath a bunch of boulders, he decided against bothering her.

Toph wasn't the only one keeping a distance from the rest of the group. Mister Avatar himself remained cut-off from everyone…including Katara, which bothered the tribesman, seeing as Aang was the closest to the waterbender. Master Arrowhead headed off somewhere alone, and Katara followed soon after, probably to comfort him and stuff…like she always did with everyone.

Sokka also decided to take a leave of absence from the encampment and venture off by himself; he needed some time to think. After weeks of time just dragging on, their travels being of the uneventful sort, everything just all of a sudden started piling up on them…and through these odd twists and turns, here they were--braving the treacherous Serpent's Pass. What luck.

The tanned teen couldn't help but wonder what Zuko was doing at this very moment. Was he already in Ba Sing Se? Was he still making his way to the great city, battling through the hardships of traveling alone? Had he been captured by the Earth Kingdom army, or turned over to his sister as a prisoner?

'Whoa, Sokka…get ahold of yourself, buddy…,' he mused, shaking his head violently. The ex-prince was probably already comfortably settled in the capital, chilling with his uncle and stuff like that, right?

Right.

Heaving a sigh, Sokka warily glanced up at the moon. It glowed like a giant wheel of cheese hanging from the sky, with a huge chunk missing. His cerulean eyes narrowed as he concentrated on the pearly, incomplete sphere. A small smile crept across his lips, but soon vanished upon him hearing quiet, approaching footsteps.

"Sokka…?" a feminine voice called out.

"Oh…hey, Suki," the tribesman replied, his tone that of slight disappointment.

The Kyoshi warrior took a seat next to the Water Tribe boy, placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Is everything okay? You seem a little…down," she said, worry laced in her voice.

"I'm fine," came his curt reply as he turned his head away from her, now focusing on the ground.

"You're lying," she stated, taking her hand off his shoulder. "I know you, Sokka; what's really bothering you?"

"How can you know me when I barely know myself?" Sokka snapped, immediately wishing he could take back his words. Suki flinched at his harshness, her gaze then downcast, her shoulders weighed with guilt.

"I'm sorry…," she muttered as she rose from her seat. As much as Sokka wanted to stop her from leaving…he couldn't bring himself to say anything. He watched her walk away in silence, sighing heavily.

He felt like a royal prick.

--

Flaxen irises stared hesitantly at the plate of food before him. He glanced around the circle, watching the others dig away at their meals. As much as Zuko wanted to eat the fresh meat, since it was an excellent change from the rotting bile he had been consuming recently, he just…couldn't bring himself to eat. His stomach growled at him, prodding him to take at least one bite.

But…he didn't.

"If you're not going to eat your food, I'm giving it to someone else," Smellerbee said, interrupting the firebender's train of thought.

"Take it; I don't want it," he replied, shoving his plate in the young girl's direction. He sighed and crossed his arms, focusing his gaze elsewhere.

Jet tilted his head slightly, wondering what the hell could be going on inside the scarred teen's head. He shoved the last piece of meat into his mouth, barely chewing it before he swallowed. Picking up his strand of wheat, which had been temporarily resting on his plate, he placed it into his mouth where it belonged. His brown eyes remained locked on Zuko, studying and scrutinizing him carefully. Multiple times did he gander at the scar that adorned almost the entire left side of the ex-prince's face. He could only imagine where that scar came from…how intense that fight must have been.

Taking a deep breath, the bushy-haired boy said, "Hey, Li, can I talk to you for a minute?" He smiled when Zuko gave a small nod and he rose to his feet, the firebender following suit. The two boys headed over to the railing where they met earlier that day, even assuming similar positions.

"What is it?" Zuko inquired after a long period of silence.

"…This," Jet said, raising his hand to the paler teen's face. He gingerly fingered the other's scar until his hand was slapped away almost immediately.

"Don't touch," the firebender snapped, his voice low and dangerous. If looks could kill, Jet would have toppled over the side of the boat already.

"Still painful, huh? That's okay; I understand," the darker teen said. He twirled his wheat in his mouth nervously. Why did he all of a sudden feel…warmer? The air around him seemed to climb in temperature, but returned to normal moments later.

'No, you _don't_ understand,' Zuko mused, biting his tongue to keep from speaking his thoughts. He tilted his head toward the sky, inhaling the cool night air in attempts to calm himself down.

Jet shifted uncomfortably before saying, "Well, I'm going to…check on the other passengers." He received a silent nod from the ex-prince, and with that, he headed over to Longshot and Smellerbee.

Zuko sighed, rubbing his temple. Something about Jet really rubbed him the wrong way; he just couldn't figure out what the hell it was. Fortunately, they would reach Ba Sing Se's outer wall by morning, which meant that he would part ways with the bushy-haired boy and his friends--the "Freedom Fighters"--and finally set to work on finding his uncle.

But for now…he needed some sleep.

--

Sokka groaned groggily, annoyed by the foot repeatedly prodding his lower back. He thrashed his feet inside his sleeping bag, mumbling angry words that were incomprehensible to any human.

"Katara, he's not getting up," Aang said in an emotionless tone, deciding to cease kicking his older comrade.

"Sokka, if you don't--" the waterbender started, but was silenced by Toph's hand practically in her face.

"I'll get him up, Katara," the little earthbender said with a playful smirk. "Step aside, Twinkle Toes," she commanded, and the Avatar gladly backed away from the sleeping tribesman. Toph then proceeded to stomp on the ground furiously, jabbing Sokka's still form incessantly with sharp rocks, eliciting screams of pain from the tanned teen. His sleeping bag flew about six feet up in the air, then came crashing back down upon the flat earth with an extremely loud thud. "Time to get up, Snoozles," the blind girl said, giving him an extra kick for good measure.

The newcomers of the group merely stared upon the scene in awe, dumbfounded that Sokka had no broken bones after such abuse.

Once everything was packed up and such, the gang pressed on. Sokka grunted every now and again, his entire body sore from his early-morning beating, courtesy of Toph. Why did she always have to torture him like that? What had he done to her to deserve such harsh treatment? The tribesman gave up on thinking for the time being, rubbing his shoulder to alleviate the pain.

Sokka nearly ran into Toph, backing off just in time. Irritated that the group randomly decided to halt, he was about to send off a stream of various swears and complaints. However, his breath hitched in his throat as he caught sight of what lay ahead of them…or rather, what didn't.

"What do we do now?" Than asked, hugging his panicking wife.

"We create a path," Toph stated, stepping forward ahead of the gang. Her shoulders quivered and her hands trembled as she held her arms out straight from her body. The ground rumbled slightly beneath their feet. Ying clung to Than's shirt in fear. The little earthbender raised her limbs, commanding the earth deep below the water. The earth gave a shudder as a strip of land rose from the depths. The sea swished and sloshed against the newly-formed path stretching across the gap.

The group began the long trek along the trail, Katara and Aang in the lead, Sokka bringing up the rear just behind Toph and Momo. The lemur had taken quite a liking to the earthbender recently; he was always seen perched safely on her shoulder, which she didn't seem to mind in the slightest.

The tribesman twisted his head to the side, ever so sure he had caught something out of the corner of his eye. Waves upon the surface of the water were the only things moving, despite what Sokka had thought; he was probably so tired that his mind was playing tricks on him. Yeah, that was it.

…No, it wasn't.

A creature of comparable size to the unagi rose from the water, roaring and hissing at the gang. Than held Ying protectively. Aang twirled his staff, releasing the glider wings.

"Sokka and Suki, get everyone across to safety! Katara, I need help! Go!" the Avatar commanded, taking flight toward the sea beast. Katara leapt from the path, forming a patch of ice beneath her feet like a surf board. Bending the water around her, she surfed on a giant wave, ready to attack the sea serpent.

"I can help, too!" Toph called, sinking into her stance and raising a boulder from the path.

"No, Toph!" Sokka said, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. He motioned to Suki, gesturing her to get Than and his family to the other side. "You can't see to attack it!"

"Tell me where to aim, then! Please, Sokka…," the blind girl pleaded, breaking another chunk of rock from the pathway. "I want to help."

"Fine," the tribesman sighed, moving directly behind her and taking her arms in his partially-gloved hands. Sticking his tongue out in concentration, he pin-pointed the exact location of the serpent; even as is thrashed about, Aang and Katara were doing a pretty good job of keeping it subdued. He moved her arms to perfectly aim at the sea monster. "Right about there…NOW!"

Toph struck the rock with all her might, sending it flying toward the beast. It just so happened to move directly into the boulder's trajectory path, howling in pain as the chunk of rock struck it square in the eye.

"Great, Toph! Aang and Katara should be able to take care of the rest," Sokka said with a smile, even though he knew the earthbender wasn't able to see it. "Let's go!"

"Right! Hang on, Snoozles!" Toph ordered, raising a diagonal pillar of rock from beneath them at such speed that it sent the both of them flying through the air. The little earthbender, of course, landed safely on her bare feet. Sokka, on the other hand, face-planted it upon the hard ground. The path crumbled and fell beneath the turbulent surface of the water. The tribesman sat up in time to see the airbender and his sister soaring above via antique glider.

Now that the serpent was defeated, Sokka prayed that it would be smooth sailing to Ba Sing Se.

--

"Li! Wait up!"

Zuko halted his steps, twisting his head to look over his shoulder. He caught sight of Jet trotting toward him. Had he been the asshole he used to be, he would have turned tail and run away. However, his feet remained glued to the floor. It wouldn't hurt to see what the bushy-haired boy wanted; after all, the next train wouldn't arrive for another twenty minutes, so the ex-prince was in no rush. He pivoted around as Jet neared.

"Look," the darker teen started, running his long fingers through his hair, "you and I are alike."

Zuko cocked his brow, his head tilting slightly to the side. 'Is this guy smoking his wheat?' he thought, trying to keep his face as emotionless as possible.

"We were both hurt by the Fire Nation," Jet continued, lazily gesturing to Zuko's scar. "We share a common pain. That's why…I want to invite you to join my Freedom Fighters."

"Thanks," the firebender immediately spat out, turning away from the leader, "but I'm not interested."

"You sure you won't think about it?" Jet pressed, roughly grabbing Zuko's shoulder and twisting him around to face him. He leaned closer to the paler teen, their foreheads nearly touching. "We would make great partners, you and me," he whispered, bringing his lips closer to Zuko's. The air around them spiked in temperature, the heat almost unbearable…

Jet gasped as the firebender shoved him away forcefully, and he stumbled to regain his balance. Golden irises shot the brunette an angry, threatening glare. A snarl emitted from deep in the darker teen's throat; how dare he push him away like that! His dark brown eyes narrowed as the ex-prince hastened from his sight. Smellerbee and Longshot came up behind their leader, holding their passes into the city.

"So, he didn't take you up on your offer?" Smellerbee inquired, handing one of the green and yellow leaflets to Jet.

"He's still thinking about it," the brunette lied, fishing a new strand of wheat out of his shirt. His brows furrowed in anger.

_You better watch your back, Li. I'm coming for you._

--

"Geez, Snoozles, you're more of a girl than I am," Toph teased as she handed a cool cloth to her tanned friend. "I can't _believe_ you fainted!"

"Hush up," Sokka said, rubbing his sweaty face with the cloth. "I get squeamish with those kinds of things."

"Obviously."

"You--"

"Guys," Suki interrupted as she poked her head out of the giant earth tent. "Do you want to come in and see the baby?"

Rising to her feet, the earthbender said, "I'll come in, but I won't be able to see it." She and Suki both chuckled as they disappeared into tent.

Sokka pressed the cloth firmly against his forehead and leaned back against the side of the tent. He still felt a bit dizzy, so he really didn't want to push himself too much. His attention was so unfocused, he barely even noticed Katara coming out to fetch Aang. A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he placed the cloth over his eyes to block the sunlight. Not even a minute later, he drifted into a light sleep.

…

"Katara, we _need_ to hurry!" Aang said frantically.

The tribesman cracked open an eye, his sight greeted by darkness. His hand fumbled its way to his face and he removed the now-dry cloth, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He blinked, his oceanic orbs focusing on Katara and Aang standing a few feet away, conversing about something "important."

"What's going on?" Sokka questioned in a slightly strained voice, scaling the outer wall of the earth tent as he stood on tired legs.

"Oh, good, you're awake," his sister said, running over to give him a hug. "Are you feeling better?"

"A little, yeah, but that doesn't answer my question," the elder Water Tribe sibling stated, returning the hug in a sleepy manner.

"…Ba Sing Se is in danger," the Avatar stated, pounding the tip of his staff into the ground. His grey eyes glanced downward. "The Fire Nation is trying to drill a hole in the outer wall."

Whatever sleepiness Sokka had been feeling moments ago completely vanished. He went through one of his usual, momentary spaz-fits, then regained his composure. "We have to stop them!" he exclaimed, pounding his fist into the palm of his opposite hand. "Wait…what about Than and Ying?"

"Suki's escorting them and their baby to the wall safely. They left a while ago," Toph informed him from behind, moving her open palms in a downward motion to "pack up" the rock tent.

"Let's get going," the Avatar said with urgency in his young voice, extending the wings of his glider. "We need to stop that drill."

All the while, Sokka couldn't help but wonder…did Zuko know about this?

--

That does it for chapter four. Just as an FYI thing, I'm not going to write about the gAang taking down the drill in the next chapter. I'm going to use a lovely time skip, since I really don't feel like writing so close to the plot again. That's why this chapter was so hard to dish out. - -;

So, uh, don't forget to review...or whatever it is you do. Until next time!

-Chibi


	5. Chapter 5: Finally Found You

...I think this is the fastest I've ever updated. Holy crap on a stick.

Sokka and Zuko finally meet up again, although it is kind of a short reunion. This is just the beginning of their adventures in Ba Sing Se, if you can really call it that. Not much else to say about this chapter.

As a note for the future, I update the status of this fic on my profile page, so if you're waiting for the next installment, it'd be a good idea to check back and see how the chapter's coming along.

I'd also like to take a moment and thank everyone who reads this fic, those of you who have been with it since the beginning, and to all of you awesome reviewers. You guys give me the motivation and inspiration to keep writing. In addition, if you guys have any ideas for scenes, or specific things you wouldn't mind seeing in the fic, let me know! I'm open to new ideas and stuff. I won't guarantee that I'll use all of them, but they're always appreciated.

**DISCLAIMER: Avatar and all related characters, creatures, locations, etc. belong to Bryke/Nickelodeon/Viacom.**

**WARNING: Shounen-ai alert. Don't like, don't read. 'Nuff said.**

--

They had only been in Ba Sing Se for about an hour…and Sokka was already sick of it.

The tribesman let out a hopeless, disgruntled sigh as he collapsed upon one of the gigantic pillows in the corner of the room. His cerulean eyes glanced around at his comrades; everyone, including Momo, had fallen asleep, scattered about their new home. He couldn't blame them, seeing as he was starting to nod off as well. After dealing with that Joo Dee character, who _wouldn't _be tired? She was definitely a piece of work, that woman…

Toph was right--the city had so many rules, it was beyond ridiculous. Sokka hated all the meaningless restrictions. They couldn't really do _anything _here. He punched the pillow in ire before burying his face in the fluff, growling.

He remained still for quite sometime, turning over many thoughts in his head. It seemed like there was so much to do, yet not enough time to accomplish everything. The gang's checklist of things to do? Well, first they had to find Appa, which proved to be almost impossible at this point. Who'd have thought a several-ton sky bison would be so difficult to track down? Next on their list was to relay information regarding the upcoming solar eclipse to the Earth King…which, like finding Appa, also proved to be nearly impossible. Not only did they have to talk to his mighty Earthliness about it, they actually had to _wait _for an audience with him. About two months, as Joo Dee had so enthusiastically informed them. It was such a big waste of time…something that they really couldn't afford right now. Having to be patient just pissed Sokka off, to put it bluntly.

However, the tribesman also had a side-quest of his own. Now that they were finally in the Earth Kingdom capital, he could commence his search for Zuko. He had an idea of where to begin looking, but even then, it would take forever to find the ex-prince. Ba Sing Se, although divided into three separate districts, was an enormous city. Lady Luck would certainly be a useful companion for this mission.

Sokka pulled himself up to a sit on his knees, glancing out the front window. The sun hovered at its peak in the middle of the sky, meaning that he would have plenty of time to go out and about before darkness settled. With a tired groan he threw his arms into the air, stretching his entire body upward. His arms dropped lazily to his sides as he stood.

Deciding it best to leave a note for the others regarding his absence, he quickly scrambled around for some paper, a brush, and ink. He just happened to find the needed materials within seconds, and he hastily scribbled a short message. After examining it for a moment, he left it on the small table in the middle of the room where the other three would surely spot it. He checked his back for his boomerang, and with a grin of satisfaction, he slid the front door open and left the house in silence.

--

A whooshing noise trailed a silver boomerang as it sliced through the air, curving and spinning until it returned to its master's partially gloved hand. Sokka could barely stifle the yawn that crept up on him, catching him off-guard. He had been aimlessly wandering around the city for hours with absolutely no luck in locating the firebender. It hadn't even dawned on him to look in the lower ring until just a while ago…and now that he found himself in said district, he was sure as hell glad he had his baby with him. There were a lot of shady characters lurking about the street corners and in the alleyways, and if the need arose to defend himself, he was prepared with a weapon.

The tanned teen let out yet another yawn, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. It felt so dry and pasty, and the taste was downright awful. He smacked his lips a couple times, sticking his tongue out in slight disgust.

"Man, I'm really thirsty…," Sokka murmured, giving his boomerang another good toss. Upon catching it, he sheathed it in its pouch on his back and glanced around in search of a place where he could grab a drink…and possibly a bite to eat.

As he traveled through the unpaved streets, of course he would happen upon numerous food stands; unfortunately, none of them offered or sold beverages. However tantalizing and scrumptious the food looked, Sokka refused to eat anything without having something to wash it down with. It was nearing dinner time and the universe, since it found the tribesman to be such an excellent target for mockery, teased him by ruthlessly attacking him with savory smells and succulent aromas of freshly-cooked meals.

Finally, after nearly a half-hour spent in agony, the tribesman stumbled upon a small tea shop.

"Hm…tea sounds good right now," he said, thoughtfully rubbing his chin. Nodding in affirmation of his decision, he pushed the door aside and stepped into the tea shop. It wasn't too crowded; quite a few tables remained empty and ready to seat new customers. Sokka chose the closest one for himself, off to his left and one table back. He took a gander at the counter in the back of the shop. A short man with a thin moustache and some sort of…pointy, triangular patch of facial hair on his chin stood stiffly, observing the shop with nervous, squinty eyes. The tanned teen assumed this man to be the owner. However, he could see no employees anywhere. How was he supposed to enjoy a nice cup of tea without anyone to serve it to him? Sheesh.

"Lazy-ass shop owner," Sokka grumbled, resting his chin on his palm, elbow pressed against the surface of the table. With his free hand, he traced random squiggles and shapes across the wood. He soon resorted to tapping his fingertips impatiently, also letting out a small yawn.

Sunset quickly approached, he noticed as he stared out the open window. He would have to head back to the upper ring soon, give up his search until later on. Assuming that the gang would have more than enough free time, though, he would probably resume looking in the morning. Now that he knew how to get to the lower ring of the city, he wouldn't waste as much time in the middle and upper districts.

Yes…time was definitely a popular theme of thought for the tribesman nowadays. Not having enough time, having too much time, wasting time…making up for lost time…

"Good evening, sir. What would you like?"

Sokka nearly jumped out of his skin, the interruption of his musings taking him by surprise. "About damn time," he muttered, turning his head upward to see the waiter. "What do you rec--" he began, but slowly his voice drifted off. His ocean irises widened, matching the excited grin that now spread across his lips. "Zu--"

A pale hand over his mouth silenced him immediately, making this the third time in about a minute that he had been interrupted in one way or another.

"Shh! Don't call me that," Zuko whispered, leaning closer to the Water Tribe boy. "Here, my name is Li." Sokka nodded and the firebender dropped his hand, revealing the smile that still remained on the darker boy's face.

"I…I can't believe it," Sokka breathed, shaking his head a bit. "You…you're here. _Here_. I thought it'd take me _forever _to find you!" The tanned teen melted to the floor as Zuko gave him a warm smile.

"Wait here for a moment," the pale boy said as he headed to the back of the shop, where his uncle was busy brewing fresh tea, and the shop owner still kept watch like one of those creepy statues with eyes that followed people everywhere. Sokka rocked back and forth on his feet as he waited. Zuko bowed to his uncle and came back to the tribesman with haste. "My uncle said I could take my break now. Can we step outside?" he inquired, gesturing to the door.

"Sure, of course," Sokka replied, following the firebender out of the shop. They darted around the corner to the side of the building, hidden from view of the windows. It was then that the tribesman practically jumped on the ex-prince, hugging him tightly. "I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too, Sokka…a lot…," Zuko said, in a hushed tone. The two broke away from their hug after a few long moments of just holding each other…a feeling that they both missed over the recent weeks.

"So…how long have you been here in the city?" the Water Tribe boy asked.

"A couple days. I took a ferry from Full Moon Bay to the outer wall," the firebender said, shrugging his shoulders. "What about you?"

"Oh, we just got in today…would have been last night if it weren't for the stupid drill."

"Drill?"

"Yeah…the Fire Nation had this gigantic machine and tried to drill a hole in the outer wall," Sokka informed the other, his voice low and dark. "Your sister was there…Aang had to fight her."

"Careful, Sokka," Zuko warned, his tone gradually quieting. "Don't mention the Fire Nation here. Don't mention _anything_ about the war."

"Why?" the tanned teen questioned, cocking a brow. Great, more rules? What the hell?

"I don't have time to explain; my break's just about over."

"Oh…," the tribesman sighed, dropping his shoulders sadly.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" the pale boy asked, placing a hand on the other's shoulder.

"Uh, nothing that I know of," Sokka said, placing his hand atop Zuko's.

"Think you can come by around lunch and grab a bite to eat together?"

Sokka's eyes lit up, and his smile returned to his face. "Sure! Yeah, I'll come," he pretty much shouted. It took every ounce of self-control he had to keep from jumping for joy. 'Spirits, Zuko and I are going on a date!' he mused, giddy inside like a school girl.

"Great," the firebender said, the smile in his flaxen irises matching the grin on his lips. "I better get back in there now. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yes, tomorrow, lunch," the Water Tribe boy stated, barely able to contain his excitement. Zuko turned to leave, but the tanned teen immediately grabbed his wrist and held it tight, preventing him from doing so. "Wait, Z--I mean Li…"

"Hm? What is it?"

Without even thinking, Sokka went in for the kill, taking Zuko's lips in a fierce kiss. The scarred teen returned the kiss with just as much ferocity and snaked his arms around the darker boy's neck. All at once, the immense loneliness and longing of the weeks past seemed to just melt away.

A pair of dark chocolate orbs watched the two from the shadows. They watched as the boys parted, exchanged a few more words, and went their separate ways. The owner of the spying eyes growled, ducking even further into the shadows.

"So, Sokka, you're here too…," Jet murmured, twirling his wheat in his mouth. "You better keep your hands off my Li, or there'll be hell to pay."

With that, he dashed down the alleyway, disappearing in the approaching darkness of nighttime.

--

And of course I end it with Jet being the stalker we all know he is. Couldn't help myself.

That's about it for now. Read/review/alert/whatever you do. Thanks for reading, guys!


End file.
